Jealousy will drive you mad
by zkcaskett
Summary: CH3:'Really, she should be glad. In all cases preceding that particular incident, Beckett probably would have been more than happy with his lack of focus on her. The truth of it was, she was anything but.' Tick, Tick, Tick… Boom! A series of one-shots where Rick or Kate is jealous of the others' momentary companion. All roads lead to Caskett.
1. Always Buy Retail (1x05)

A/N: This is the first in a series of one shots I have decided to start. If there is some positive feedback and interest, I'd be happy to continue it.

_Disclaimer : I do not own Castle. I do use quite a bit of dialogue from the episode Always Buy Retail in this chapter which is why I insist on writing a disclaimer as a precaution. I hope that doesn't bother many of you. _

* * *

The phone. Yep, that was definitely his phone and the answer to all his questions at the moment; the perfect excuse to get the _hell_ away from Meredith who was trailing a line of kisses down his stomach. Not that he hadn't been enjoying himself up until a few moment ago, but her telling him that she planned to move back to the Big Apple was a big red light. No more deep fried twinkie.

He hastily moved away from her and in the direction of the buzzing phone on his bedside table.

"Richard, what do you think you're doing?"

"Uh, the phone is ringing Meredith," he stated flatly.

"Yes, I can hear that but don't you think it can wait so that we can finish what we started?"

"Um, actually it's… the precinct, so no, I have to go."

"Ricky!" She whined.

Ugh, this was exactly what he had been dreading, the mere sound of her voice already getting on his nerves. Picking up his phone, Rick read the address Beckett had texted him, informing him that there had been a murder and he was expected to be there in twenty. Perfect. If he left in five he would have time to drop by the coffee shop to grab her order. The thought of the corner of her lips twitching as she struggled to keep her smile and recognition at bay sent a jolt of excitement through his chest.

What was up with that? It wasn't like he had feelings for Kate. Sure, there was the undeniable attraction but that hadn't stopped him from having sex with his ex-wife that morning. On top of that, the fun was in annoying her. And then of course there was the story. Her story. Suddenly he felt a pang of guilt flit through his stomach but he dismissed it immediately. They weren't in a relationship of any kind and she certainly didn't want to have anything to do with him. So why this questioning on his part? It all meant nothing to her anyway. The sad thing was he was afraid that it would soon start to mean a lot more to him than it did to her. _Get a grip, Rick_, he chided himself, it had only been, what- five weeks? What the hell was wrong with him, anyway?

Who was he kidding? He cared about her. That's what all this was about. He cared about her too much for his own damn good. But for now he just needed to worry about getting out of here and to the crime scene.

Getting up from the floor, he quickly grabbed his boxers and proceeded to get dressed in record time.

"What's this about a precinct? Are you in some kind of trouble?" Meredith asked.

Right- he hadn't told her anything about the 12th or Kate Beckett. Not that it was any of her business, but it was probably best if it stayed that way. He really didn't need her showing up and telling the boys or even Beckett, anything they didn't need to know. Nope, that was not a good idea. Probably due to the lack of reply, Meredith continued with her train of thought, "Have you been a bad boy, Ricky?" She asked him in her bedroom voice. Now that he thought about it, it wasn't that attractive.

"Uh… Yes! That's exactly it! You can let yourself out Meredith," and with that he left his room, grabbed his keys and was out the door.

* * *

There just had been no time for coffee, so he arrived at the scene empty handed. Maybe later in the day he could get her that bear claw.

It was all too familiar; the body, the setting, the ritual. This was clearly a voodoo killing. Castle found his thoughts drifting from the conversation and the information Espo and Ryan were delivering.

The thought of his ex-wife moving back was just… unfathomable. First, there would be no sex. Ever. Again. And second, he knew Alexis wouldn't be happy about the move. Of course she loved her mother but even she didn't want to have her around all the time. And then of course there was Martha who didn't bother to mask her feelings for the women in question and felt no shame in showing the world that she disliked her altogether.

"Hello?"

The sound of Beckett's voice drew him from his trance but he had missed her initial remark.

"Huh?"

"You okay," she asked. Was that actual concern he heard in her voice?

"I had sex with my ex-wife this morning." Okay, so maybe not the best move. The look on Beckett's face confirmed that, no, that had in fact not been the ideal thing to say. He could no longer depict any former trace of concerned he might have seen earlier. It was replaced by disbelief and a condescending look. But now he simply had to explain that this was not what he wanted. "My first ex-wife, Meredith, Alexis' Mom. And, she's thinking of moving back to New York. Do you know what that would mean to me? That would be a very special brand of hell, the hell of a deep fried twinkie."

"Deep fried twinkie?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, the guilty pleasure you have that you know is bad for you so you only do it once, maybe twice a year? But a deep fried twinkie every day is-"

"Castle!" Okay maybe she wasn't impressed.

"What?"

"Crime scene," she said incredulously, "Dead body. A little respect here?"

"Ah, I don't think he can hear me."

"Okay, how about a little self-respect then?"

_ Yeah, good move Ricky, now she definitely doesn't think much of you_, he thought.

"Fine."

The case however, that, he could help her with. Then maybe he could get part of his dignity back. Probably not though. Castle told them about the pouch in the victim's mouth and that this was from the voodoo religion. Although she seemed impressed by his knowledge on the religion, he could still feel a lingering sense of… something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Then she asked for the research. Perfect.

* * *

He knew she probably liked his books since she had recognized his staged crime scene and sought his help. Okay, maybe it had been more of an interrogation and the other way around, but she sought him out because of them none the less, it had to mean something. So he read to her in his study. Of course, this was for the case but that didn't mean that they couldn't both enjoy it. He caught the pensive look on her face when he looked up from the page and almost lost his train of thought. She was just so mesmerizing when her brow furrowed and she tried to make sense of things. But he continued his reading, seeing as the alternative was very dangerous territory.

"Unholy Storm. You dragged me in here so that you could read from your own book." It wasn't a question; it was a statement and made with that unimpressed look on her face that suggested he was wasting her time.

"Hey, there's a lot of good stuff in here and some of it is factual," he said attempting to defend his writing. She got up and by the looks of it his last sentence had failed him miserably. "Where are you goin'?"

"I have a murder to solve!"

"I thought that's what we were doing," she kept putting her coat on so he got up, "Okay, okay, I'm just kidding. I do have another source."

"And you call your ex-wife a deep fried twinkie." And there it was. He never should have shared that information, really, what the hell had he been thinking? Absolutely no good could come from her knowing this.

"Oh, trust me, as annoying as you think I am; she's a million times worse."

"What about Alexis? Maybe she misses her mom; maybe it'd be a good idea to have her back in town."

Okay now Beckett thought that he was a selfish bastard who didn't even care about his daughter and that simply wouldn't do.

"Woah, Beckett. Look, it might've been insensible to share this information with you this morning but really, you don't know Meredith. Alexis and I have talked about this several times. Do you not think I've beaten myself up every day because she's never had a mother figure in her life? Look, the thing is, even if she were here, Meredith wouldn't act like her loving mother. She would probably be here just as much as when she's in LA, so never. Don't you think that would hurt her even more? Knowing that her mother is not even an hour away and that she can't even bother to come over for dinner once a week? I've thought about this, okay?"

Okay maybe he had said too much. She didn't want to hear this. Castle couldn't read the look on her face. There was a flash of something he desperately wanted to see more often, but in a second she had tampered it down and she was walking away from him again.

"Fine," she said over her shoulder.

* * *

Kate was finding it very had to concentrate. What was he even thinking? Did he not have one ounce of self-respect? Sleeping with his ex-wife and then telling her about it when he practically insinuated that _they_ should have slept together during that first case. Why was he even still here? He evidently didn't care about her, but annoying her though, that was a different story. And then when she turned him down he simply wouldn't take no for an answer so he got himself admitted into the precinct. When he was here, Castle went out of his way to drive her insane and then out of the blue he'd do things like bring her coffee. The coffee he knew she liked because he observed her.

Oh, that's right; he was also basing a book off of her. Because she inspired him. Apparently that wasn't enough, though. And even that, which she thought had been sweet, came down to meaning absolutely nothing when Meredith had shown up and said that she had once been his inspiration. Did he not know what he wanted himself?

But that woman had just set her off. She walked into _her_ precinct, acting all superior, pulling out the 'I pay taxes' card and acted as though she couldn't believe Castle was following her around. Then she got all possessive, like she owned him. She was his _ex_-wife. She didn't mean anything.

That whole situation was entirely infuriating. He was supposed to be interested in her. Not that she cared. But that's what it was supposed to be about. He was supposed to keep following her and she would keep ignoring him. Sleeping with his ex-wife was not part of the deal.

_What the hell are you even thinking_, she thought to herself and made a face of disgust. They weren't in a relationship and she didn't care that he was sleeping with his ex-wife. _That's_ what it was supposed to be. Except it wasn't, and even Kate didn't have the strength of mind to convince herself otherwise. What on Earth could she tell him? Something like: 'Would you stop sleeping with you ex-wife, because it's really starting to piss me off', simply wouldn't fly. The truth of it was that there was absolutely nothing she could do or say about it. It was none of her business.

Honestly, Kate had no idea why she was beating herself up over this. It's not like she was in love with the man. She just-

Sometimes, she couldn't stop thinking about his lips and what they could do to her body if she let him. He had a reputation and although that was one of the things she hated about him, it drove her insane. But she said no. Because she was above him. Not above him, like that; superior, yes, that's what she meant. But then he was there every day and his hands-

"Beckett, you calling it a night?"

"Castle, we need to talk." Shit. Why had she said that?

"Uh, sure, what's up?"

She got up, her mind a step behind her body, which pulled him along by the sleeve of his shirt into the break room. Beckett shut the door and glared at him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her tone forewarning.

"I, uh- Well…" Castle stuttered, oblivious as to what brought on this confrontation.

"Why are you sleeping with your ex-wife?" She asked more precisely, poking him in the chest forcefully.

"Oh, that. Well, technically we aren't sleeping together anymore, because that's not going to happen again. But, uh… Why-"

"Really? What's stopping you now? You've slept with her already so why not sleep with her again?"

"I- wait, are you-"

Kate cut him off mid-sentence, fisted the lapels of his shirt in her hands and captured his lips with hers. Her body had driven her forward and taken what was hers. What she had been thinking about for the past five weeks. There was no way she was letting him say that word. Castle grunted, completely taken off guard by her sudden move but recovered quickly, his hands spanning her waist. He nipped at her bottom lip, the one he'd seen her pull between her teeth when she was deep in thought. He sucked it into his mouth and Kate let out a small moan. Her hands migrated to his hair and she swiped her tongue across his bottom lip, begging for entrance. Castle gladly opened up to her and their tongues dueled in a battle for control Rick was happy to let her win.

Suddenly Kate pulled back.

"I'm not jealous. But, you have no right to tease and annoy me like that if you're going to go home to your ex-wife," she said, her tone equally as threatening as before.

"Fair enough. Kate, I just didn't think you'd care. Trust me, if I'd had the slightest idea that you were interested, it never would've happened."

"Well, I'm full of surprises, Kitten."

* * *

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed that and that there wasn't too much dialogue from the original episode. I'd love to hear what you all thought in your reviews!


	2. Eye of the Beholder (4x05)

_A/N: I'm glad the last chapter generated some interest! So, you might've noticed that there was a time jump, which should indicate that this series will not be in accordance to the original order of episodes, but I figure this shouldn't be too bothersome seeing as these are non-related one-shots! Enjoy! _

* * *

Every time. Every time it happened she got chills and her body heat seemed to rise to no end. Aware that it was quite the contradicting statement, Kate wasn't bothered by it as it so accurately described her current state. It would just come up out of nowhere; she would start talking and he would continue, always in sync with her train of thought, and from there they would build theory and weave tales of murder and gruesome killings.

It's exactly what happened when he realized how valuable their said "fist" truly was. And then of course there was the magnetic pull. Their words drew them closer to each other and soon enough they were only separated by mere inches. Her blood boiled with the thought that they if they were too different people, in different settings, they would probably be kissing right now. But she doesn't let that get in the way of their case solving. Wait a minute, _kissing_-

"That's not likely,"

She looked up to find a well-dressed blond waltzing into the room. Kate could practically feel the confidence oozing off of her in waves as she cut off their rapidly progressing theory. Kate smirked, already finding that this woman would be a character but nothing she couldn't handle. She let her finish her own musings, effectively shutting down their earlier idea. Okay, so the vent was an option and not a bad suggestion but never would she voice that thought.

That's another thing; this woman was smart. Most women her age acted as though they knew everything there was to know about anything. But she was no blond bimbo. Looking over at Castle to suggest that whatever the circumstances, this woman needed to get the hell out of her crime scene, she found his eyes glued to the object of her contemplation.

Oh, no-

No _way_ was she staying now. Not when Castle was looking at her with that fascination in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I'm Serena Kaye, the museums insurance investigator," she replied, not bothering to glance in Kate's direction.

Challenging her, she went with her line of thought, "So, if the thief entered through the vent, how did he get out?"

As soon as she asked, the answer entered her mind and she grimaced at the idea that she had just given Kaye an opportunity to shine. The catering vans; which is exactly what she proceeded to explain.

She saw Castle looking at her "Oh, she's good," he said in a low voice.

"At theory, but what about proof?" Kate asked the question she usually reserved for Castle.

"I don't need proof to know that I'm right, it's my job _and_ I could help you with yours." She said this with confidence and the fact that Castle noticed didn't get passed Beckett.

"How so?" she asked as politely as possible, seriously attempting to keep calm.

"I get a one percent finder's fee for recovered objects, I want that fist. You want your murderer; we have common goals. I could consult on your case and offer my insight."

"You know, that is an intriguing idea-"Castle cut in.

"No, thank you, that won't be necessary," Kate quickly concluded. How dare she ask to consult like that? You don't just do that! Okay, granted, maybe that happened some times, but no, there was no way she was tagging along on this case. Ugh… the thought of Castle, looking at her like that was really starting to piss her off. And then the way she simply walked away like she couldn't care less. _Kate _was the one with the team; the highest closure rate in the precinct, if anything, that women needed _them_, not the other way around. She was leaving though, so it's not like she'd be a nuisance for much longer.

As soon as Castle opened his mouth to say that they could've used her and that she had valuable assets, she rolled her eyes. Classic; all men think the same apparently.

"Not those kind…" Really, Castle? He expected her to believe that he hadn't noticed? Maybe that's not what he had been alluding to right this moment, but he noticed alright.

She reluctantly called Ryan so that he could check on what Kaye had pointed out as a lead.

"There, was that so hard?"

"I know something else that might be hard after she walked in wearing such a short dress," she dead panned.

"First of all, it takes a little more than a short dress, I'm not a teenage boy, and secondly, I'm offended that you think so low of me, Detective," he said in a voice that told her he wasn't the least bit offended.

"Hey, you make it easy," she said as she walked out.

Okay, admittedly, it had just slipped out. Kate hadn't meant for it to sound so condescending but what did he expect? It's not like he didn't know that she didn't like having consultants around, let alone those who wore short dresses. Kaye wasn't staying and that was final.

* * *

The _nerve_ of that woman! She actually showed up at the precinct and persuaded her Captain to let her consult on the case. And then looked her right in the eye and said "I look forward to working with you". It had taken all the willpower Kate could muster not to reply anything inappropriate.

Okay, maybe that was a bit much. She hadn't _really _done anything worthy of such anger but it wasn't uncommon for two people not to like each other from the very first moment the met. And then there was the way Castle had said that _Serena _had been right. It was his excited and awed tone that had set her off and caused her to argue that it had been a lucky guess, nothing more. And the use of her first name really wasn't helping. It's not like they knew each other. They had barely met, for God's sake! Ugh, she really hoped they solved this one quickly.

As Ryan brought Kaye up to speed, Kate saw Castle smiling at _her._ What the hell did he think he was doing? First of all, they were at the precinct, there wasn't any time for flirting, they had to concentrate and focus all their energy on the case. And secondly, it's not like Castle hadn't seen other nice looking women before, couldn't he just reel in his obvious approval of her being there? Kate glared at him and he looked down guiltily. Yeah, he knew.

And then of course Espo had to walk in and notice her as well. Castle didn't wait a second longer to introduce her as part of the team and although the detective simply went with it, the way Castle had carefully pronounced the syllables of her name didn't go unnoticed by Kate, who shot him another daring look.

As Kaye left telling them that her people wouldn't talk to cops and Castle followed, she really didn't know what to do. Sure, it was great that Castle was taking that initiative seeing as he could report back to them and tell them what exactly happened. But that also meant that while he wasn't with her, he was with Kaye. There wasn't much she could say to stop him, but in that moment her heart squeezed within her chest. Maybe she should've said something.

* * *

"She's an uncooperative, cocky, stubborn, little know-it-all."

"But she is good at her job," supplied. That wasn't even the point! Her job didn't consist of flirting relentlessly with Castle every time she was in the room.

"Well, Castle seems to think so," was her only response.

"And that bothers you," he stated simply. It wasn't a question. Even she wasn't blind to the fact that her tone was dripping with jealousy and annoyance.

"Yes! Of course it bothers me!" She needed someone to know just how much it bothered her. This relationship she had built over the years with Castle wasn't a school yard crush. They both knew it, but they were determined to wait for the right time to move it along, to take that next step. Well, Kate knew she needed to wait, she just hoped Castle was willing to wait for her, because she wasn't ready. She knew that this was what was best for the both of them. He deserved someone better, and she was desperately trying to stay afloat in order to find that person within herself.

"Why?"

Ugh, how she hated that question; it seemed to be the only one that really stumped her every time. In the case of a murder investigation, it was the key element, the one Castle helped her build and figure out every time. But here, within the four walls that enclosed her therapists' office, she dreaded it.

"Because he's supposed to be…" Kate started, knowing exactly what she was about to say. But then her throat tightened and her stomach flipped and she just needed to take a deep breath. Sitting down on the arm of the large chair facing the man asking her all these soul bearing questions, she looked down at the coffee in her hands.

Yet another reminder of Castle. He brought her coffee every morning, because he cared and because it had become their thing. He always seemed a little more at ease when she accepted it with a smile. That's all it took. She would give him a simple smile and it would linger between them as good energy, a force that kept them going through the day.

"Be what?"

"My partner?" She asked incredulously. It sounded funny to her ears. He was so much more than that. He was part of the reason why she got up in the morning, determined to make New York a safer city. That persistence used to be fueled by the death of her mom. But she soon found that it was the thing that kept trying to pull her deeper into the water rather than what kept her straining to stay above and breathing. Castle was that force, constantly pulling her up when she tip-toed along the edge. "But it's more than that. He's supposed to be on my team. He's not supposed to be all smitten. He's-"

There it was again.

"He's supposed to be in love with me."

There. She said it. He told her he loved her and now he was all smitten with this Serena Kaye? He couldn't just drop her when another good looking woman came along, that's not how relationships worked.

"But it's complicated," she added. And it was. Nothing about them was ever simple. Because she hid and he prodded her, just enough not to scare her off and when she reluctantly came out, she didn't open up as much as she'd like.

"Why is it complicated?"

"You know why." Out of all people, he still asked why, after she'd told him everything that happened between her and Castle. Well, only the important things.

"Only what you've told me." Well, crap. He didn't need to know her entire life to understand that this was hard for her. She was trying so hard to evolve but Kaye coming into the picture had really messed up the order of things.

continued, "What are you really scared of? That he won't wait for you or that he will?"

What in the _hell_ did that question even mean? Did he honestly think that she didn't want Castle in that way? That she didn't love him as fiercely as she thought he did? Because she did. She was so very deeply in love with this man and now that she had opened herself up to the idea of it, everything was clear. If her therapist, the one person she told everything to, wasn't even sure about it, how could she expect the man to whom she said nothing, to understand? How could she have been so hard head and not seen that?

"I need to go," she said as she grabbed her coat and walked out of the office.

Kate waited at her desk, waiting for Castle to come in and hoped that he would be alone. She heard the elevator doors ding and shot up from her seat only to meet Castle's gaze from across the room. He made his way to her and she met him half way.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey, I figured that you were with Serena." Well, that came out wrong. That's not at all what she had been thinking and really not what she had wanted to say.

"No, she had a meeting with her boss' this morning."

Her heart clenched and she felt her eyes begin to sting. God, Kate, keep it together, she thought.

"Oh, so you already saw her this morning." She didn't say it as a question, the way he said the previous statement, basically implied so.

"No, she texted me. Oh, you thought that we were….?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's pretty obvious that she really likes you, so…" she filled in, her eyes glued to the floor. This was coming out all wrong. How did this even happen? It sounded like she was encouraging their coming together. She was literally telling him that this other woman was interested, as if he didn't already know.

"It is?"

She nodded. What was she even _doing_?

"So then you think that I should, pursue it?"

"No."

Wow, that came out of her mouth really fast and without her consent.

"No?" He asked.

"No," she repeated and walked away, towards the bathroom. The tears were threatening to break through her resolve and there was nothing she was going to be able to do to stop if one made it past that barrier.

* * *

Stupid. Wow, she was getting really, really stupid. So first she told Castle that she didn't think he should pursue it and then she turns around and sets them up on a date so that they can search her room. Okay, yes it was just a method of distraction, a way to stall her, but they would still be on a _date_. Great, what an amazing job Kate.

As she searched the room with Espo, she knew he was on to her about something.

"You really want to nail this chick don't you?"

He said this as she opened Kaye's under garments drawer. The thought of Serena wearing this with Castle in the room-

Nope. That was not a safe train of thought to follow. Focus, Kate.

"Yeah, well, it's what we do; catch bad guys," she replied simply. No need to stimulate his imagination about why she wanted to get Kaye so badly.

"Yeah, but, it seems like it might be about more than that."

She glared at him. "Just keep looking, okay?"

A few minutes later, just as she went through her e-mails, Espo found the equipment to get into the museum in her suitcase. They had her.

She saw the text from Castle the get out a few minutes after he'd sent it and eagerly responded telling him to stall her, that they were leaving. Opening the door on her way out, caught up in the thrill of having found their murderer, she failed to register what was happening in front of her. Only for a second. Her step faltered in the doorway and Espo bumped into her.

She watched as Castle grabbed Serena, pushed her against the wall and-

"Hey!" She heard herself saying just as Castle's lips where about to brush their believed thief's'. He pulled back immediately, hearing the sound of her voice and Kate could tell he looked guilty. She felt the anger build up inside her and her body flush with the desire to take down the woman with the sorry excuse for a dress.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Arresting you for theft. And murder," she managed to say through clenched teeth.

* * *

"Wait, so now you're telling me that you don't believe she's in on this? Good to know where your loyalties stand." They had started this conversation in the hallway beside the interrogation room, but after further reflection, she moved them to the break room and closed the door.

"My loyalties? Kate, this has nothing to do with loyalties, it's about being guilty, and she's not. Why would she tell me she's a thief, why give that up?"

"Of course it's about loyalties; you're choosing her over me!" Okay, crap. That hadn't been supposed to come out of her mouth.

"Kate… I'm not choosing her over anyone, and certainly not you."

"Really? Because it looks like your brain was choosing with the wrong body part." She deadpanned.

"I was trying to stall her! She basically told me she was inviting me in her room so that we could sleep together. You guys weren't out yet, so I did what I thought would look inconspicuous."

"So you were going to sleep with her?"

"No!" he answered incredulously.

"Then why were you following her to her room?"

"Because anything else would have betrayed my act! You asked me to charm her and then when she suggests we take it to the next level; I was supposed to say no, like I wasn't interested?"

"So you are interested?"

"Would you _stop_ putting words in my mouth?"

"Well, kissing her wasn't part of the plan."

"I didn't kiss her!"

"Good!"

"_Good_? That's all you're going to-"

She grabbed the lapels of his shirt roughly and brought her lips to his in a bruising kiss. She could tell Castle hadn't been expecting this but he responded eagerly after only a second. His fingers travelled through her hair and angled her face so that he had better access to her mouth. Kate parted her lips, granting him access, and he wasted no time in tangling their tongues together in a battle for dominance. The embers in her stomach ignited with the fuel that was his kiss and he swallowed her moan as it escaped passed her lips.

Coming up for air, they separated, but kept their faces mere inches apart. "I didn't want you to kiss her," she said, a smile making it passed her lips.

"Now look who's thinking with the wrong body part," he teased and she slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Shut up, Castle."

This is who they were, and in that moment Kate realized that even though the nature of their relationship might have taken a slight curve, they were still the same. They wouldn't change. They would still banter and she would roll her eyes at his crazy theories, and he would still bring her coffee in the morning. She realized that she didn't want any of those things to disappear.

"I'm going to break her," she said as she moved towards the door. Seeing him follow, Kate put her hand on his chest and added, "you're not coming in there with me."

"What? Why?"

"Because," she said moving up to press another chaste kiss to his lips, "you've been compromised."

This chick was going down. Now that Kate was sure she had Castle, there was no way she was letting Serena Kaye get away with murder.

* * *

After the case, Kate had to admit that Serena wasn't so bad. If she hadn't been so blinded by her love for Castle, maybe things could have gone over differently. But it wasn't that simple; she knew that Serena might still want to go after him and she couldn't let that happen.

When he showed up with coffee for both of them, Kate thanked him and kissed his cheek. The display of affection didn't go unnoticed by the art retriever and she glanced knowingly at Kate, giving her a slight nod.

"Everything okay?"

"Fine, I'm just going to go file some stuff," Kate said, and left them both there.

Ultimately it was up to Castle to make a decision, but she didn't doubt that he would still be there when she same back. And he was.

"So, you two didn't go out, huh?" She asked coyly.

"He looked at her teasingly and answered, "Nope. I can't afford it. The museum just slapped me with a bill for that exhibit I broke," he said presenting her with the fee.

"Woah…" That was something she could never afford on a cop salary. Kate decided it was best never to stand too close to all the other pieces the next time she visited the museum.

"Well, I guess the least the NYPD can do is take you out for a hamburger," she said, with a smile. Castle pretended to contemplate her answer but accepted nonetheless. "Let's go," she said.

They made it all the way to the elevator but when the doors closed, all bets were off. He was on her in an instant, pushing her up against the wall and parting her lips with his tongue. His hands spanned her waist and Kate moaned as she ran her fingers through his already disheveled hair. Feeling the gravity shift as the elevator made it to the first floor, Castle pulled away and nipped at her bottom lip.

"How about we skip to desert?"

"Okay," she barely managed to say before her lips covered his again in a hungry kiss. Feeling their hips brush, Kate gasped but chuckled as one of their earlier conversations crossed her mind. "Apparently, it doesn't take very long for you to get affected like this, ."

"Only where you're concerned," he finished and sealed their lips once again.

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_A/N: That was the second chapter! Hope you enjoyed! This one was pretty long to write, but I really loved this episode. I'd love to hear what you think, so please review! Also, feel free to tell me which episode you'd like me to write about next._


	3. Tick, tick, tick (2x17)

**A/N: I'm incredibly sorry for the long wait; I promise this won't happen again. Putting aside all irrelevant excuses, I hope you all are still interested in this story. **

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Really, she should be glad. In all cases preceding that particular incident, Beckett probably would have been more than happy with his lack of focus on her.

It was annoying.

He was always following her around like a lost puppy, supplying ludicrous theories as to why countless victims had died, and had a field day when he got a rise out of her. So yes, given the circumstances, she should have been glad, relieved, ecstatic even, that this one wasn't quite just about her anymore. It was_ supposed_ to be annoying. All of it. All of him.

And then in came Jordan Shaw. The Federal _her_.

As soon as she'd entered the equation, something had changed.

Though really it hadn't. He was still Castle. He still teased mercilessly, was still mesmerized by the influx of technology like a 5 year old kid and constantly offered random commentary on anything that happened to enter his mind. Only it wasn't directed towards her. It was all about the Federal her.

How did he even expect her to interpret that anyway? Quite frankly it had upset her more than anything. Did that mean that given the opportunity he'd go follow Shaw instead? Given that she came with all sorts of toys, it wouldn't sound like a bad trade. And then of course there was her title. The elusive FBI. Who wouldn't want to work for them, or to be a part of it? Because in every little boys favorite movie, the hero was either FBI or CIA. And if they weren't already, then by the end they'd get a job offer. It was what people in her field were supposed to strive for.

"She is good, real good," he'd said. Well, obviously she had some sort of aptitude for the job or she wouldn't be working for the FBI, now would she? So much for relevant information that actually got her somewhere. But that wasn't the point. The point was that he already knew about her. He knew the name Jordan Shaw and he respected it. And now Beckett had to live up to the name. Because he had deemed the Agent to be of her caliber. Now she was forced to live up to that standard; had someone to measure up to.

And there was a time where the idea of it all should have made her happy, because if she didn't, then maybe he would lose interest. Maybe only when he'd found that really, he could do a lot better than her, would he finally leave her the hell alone.

The issue was, Kate didn't understand. She truly couldn't grasp why that idea no longer held any appeal.

So yes, she should have been glad, but the truth was, she was anything but. If anything, Kate Beckett was upset. Upset that there was another _her_. That didn't even make any sense. Authors don't go around writing stories revolving around ordinary people. They don't base characters on people who lead lives like the average person you bump into on the side walk. People don't read books about_ just_ anyone. They read novels about the unimaginable, the never before seen, the extraordinary. So really, if Jordan Shaw was another her, then she wouldn't be that big of a mystery. There wouldn't be anything all that interesting about her. She would be classified as one of many.

And maybe in a world before Richard Castle, she would have believed that. Actually, she's fairly confidant in the fact that that's exactly how she would've depicted an image of herself. As nothing spectacular. Nothing but ordinary. But for the past two years, Castle has made it a point to make her see, to make her believe, otherwise.

_To the Extraordinary KB. _

The dedication still made her heart flutter within the confines of her chest. Her usually well-guarded chest. A chest that held the tissues of her vital organ. Her heart. The walls she'd erected around it were supposed to have been impenetrable. They were supposed to reach such heights that the idea of climbing was unfathomable. But enter Richard Castle and his words and suddenly a fissure could be seen from afar in her walls. They were no longer impenetrable. Only, she wasn't sure _he_ saw that.

And with Jordan Shaw came the realization that over the past weeks and months, she wasn't sure if her walls still stood. And if they did, then surely they weren't as rigid as she'd originally made them out to be.

But now he was quoting Jordan and already speculating ways in which he could incorporate her in his next book. _Federal Heat._

If the look she'd given him then hadn't led him to believe that she was bothered by it, than nothing would. But just like he always did, Castle got it. Only Shaw did too. And then she'd made that _stupid_ comment about them sleeping together. Acting like she knew absolutely everything about them. No one knew anything about how they worked and what they were. Hell, even she hadn't the faintest idea until this sudden epiphany.

"I've been profiling people for a long time; I'm hardly ever wrong." Obviously she had no idea what she was talking about.

It had startled her. Not the fact that Shaw had assumed they were sleeping together; everyone thought that. It was the fact that she didn't really care that people assumed such a thing, that she didn't think it appalling anymore. Then there were those instances when she caught herself thinking that it wouldn't be _not_ appealing.

But Kate couldn't afford to think like that right now. Not when the man himself was currently sitting on her couch, had just handed her a glass of wine and she'd let her uncooperative mouth slip by accepting it and saying:

"Well, if special Agent Shaw said so."

That was undoubtedly that fastest way to let him know how deeply unappreciative she was for his involvement with this other woman, even if not romantic. The problem was, that wasn't the plan. It was never the plan to lead him to believe that she was anything but _glad_ he appreciated other women. Although that was the farthest thing from the truth, there was no way she wanted him aware of those facts.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he'd answered looking bewildered that she actually cared. Of course he hadn't been oblivious to the sarcasm dripping from her tone as she'd uttered her previous statement. This was Castle.

"Nothing. I just see the way that you listen to her. The way you look at all her fancy equipment. Now my murder boards not enough for you? Now you need a smart board?"

"Are you jealous?"

Well, that thought hadn't occurred to her at all. Was she? Jealous of Agent Shaw, that is? No, of course not. Using the term 'jealous' would insinuate that she envied with a passion something that someone else, in this case Shaw, was in possession of. Castle wasn't a possession. But, she internally reasoned that the object of Castles attention had shifted, if only slightly, during the course of this case. However Castle didn't belong to anyone and that was final. She couldn't be jealous of something that really wasn't hers to have. And Beckett wasn't one to seek attention.

"I'm not jealous, I'm just embarrassed, the way that you act like a ten year old all impressed by her data matrix; 'Oh, it collates information so quickly Agent Shaw, tell me all about it,'" She imitated him in a weak effort to shift the conversation from her to him. This was about him.

Castle scoffed. "You are ridiculous."

But she barely heard him, didn't even look up.

"Oh and now to top it off, you are now building theory with her."

Shit. That wasn't supposed to come out like that.

"So?"

"You're supposed to be building theory with me! You're supposed to be on my team!" she said almost incredulously, very aware that she was starting to sound like a petulant child.

"Well I thought we were all on the same team." It wasn't a question.

"We_ are_, I just think that if you have an insight, you should run it by me first." Why couldn't she shut up already? This was not about him anymore. She'd made it about herself.

"Fine, I will -"

"And that's not all-" she stopped mid-sentence. Stop talking, stop talking, _stop talking_.

"It isn't?" He said waiting for her to keep ranting.

"No. She's-"

Her inner turmoil, debating whether or not to speak up was leaving her verbally incompetent. _Really, Kate,_ she thought, _you can't even get a full sentence out?_

"She's what?" Castle prompted, evidently intrigued by her sudden lack of ability to filter what she thought from what she should say.

"She's not me."

"Right. She's-"

Kate cut him off.

"Don't go agreeing with me when you're the one who said it in the first place!"

"I said she was like the _Federal _you!"

"Oh, please; semantics!"

"Why does that even matter to you anyway?"

That was the question of the day, now wasn't it? Why _did_ it matter so much? Because obviously it did.

"It doesn't." She lied.

"I think that's not exactly true."

Kate stayed silent looking down at the glass in her hands. She didn't know what was true anymore. She didn't know how she felt or where she stood. She was completely in the dark about what the hell she was supposed to say now that she'd put herself in this awful position. Castle continued for her:

"I honestly, don't know where this is coming from, Kate, but I know for a fact that she isn't you." Castle set his glass down on the table beside the couch and leaned forward.

"She isn't the one I'm here to protect."

"That doesn't make her-"

"I wasn't finished. She doesn't not want to tell me who she'd like to be interpreted by in the Nikki Heat movie, she doesn't glare at me when I say things I haven't thought through, and she most certainly doesn't look as sexy as you do in her police vest."

Kate suppressed a smile and kept looking at her wine glass, transfixed, not by the translucency of the liquid, but by the comfort of her partner's words. It was however taken out of her hands, mere seconds later and she looked up to find his eyes close, so very close. He kept talking and she kept her mouth clamped shut.

"She hasn't surmounted immeasurable pain."

Oh, Castle. Now this was personal. She looked into his eyes, which brimmed with sincerity.

"She hasn't endured my annoying her for the last four years." He said it with a smile and it was infectious; the corners of her mouth quirked up. Her gaze drifted down until she was staring at his mouth.

"She isn't the mystery I strive to solve every day." Feeling her breath clog in her throat, Kate involuntarily leaned her body closer to his, her face flushed, cheeks tinted pink.

"She isn't extraordina-"

She cut him off with her lips to his; a nip at his bottom lip. She looked up to see his eyes open and infinitely blue. "Stop talking about her."

Castle closed the distance between them slowly, as if waiting for her to move away. Kate was done moving away. If she ignored the wild thrashing of her heartbeat for a second more, she'd surely faint. This. This was what she wanted. Sighing and leaning the rest of the way, she brushed her lips to his once, twice, before she felt the warmth of his palm on her cheek. She exhaled loudly through her mouth, the rush of air surging from her lungs. Bringing her hand up to lightly stroke the back of his, she dove forwards and captured his mouth more forcefully than before. Her hands made their way to the back of his head where they entwined in his hair, urging him to move towards her, silently giving her approval and asking for more.

She felt the hand at her cheek migrate to her hair, lacing his fingers between the strands as the other came to rest at her waste.

Her tongue traced his bottom lip and he immediately granted her access to his mouth. They dueled and explored the confines of each other's mouths. Kate gasped as his fingers made their way underneath her shirt, the contact between their bare flesh fueling the eruption of goose bumps over her skin. Rising up slowly, deliberately, she moved to sit on his lap, biting her bottom lip when their hips made contact. Castle trailed kisses down her neck, whispering words into the pores of her skin.

"You amaze me." She couldn't suppress the moan that escaped from within her throat as he nipped at her ear.

"You're my muse." This time she growled.

"It's just you, Kate."

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**A/N: I'd love to hear your reviews! **


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